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Alesha Dixon on starting school, bad kids’ films and NO mum guilt over the iPad

The Britain's Got Talent fave says: “if she wants to spend an hour on the iPad, I don’t have an issue with that”

Alesha Dixon was not nervous about her 4-year-old daughter, Azura, starting school last week.

Well, at least that’s what she told MFM when we caught up with her a couple of weeks ago - probably because she’s “in quite a fearless place” right now.

“I feel good [about her starting school],” she confessed. “She’s already been in nursery 4 times a week, has a good routine, at a fantastic school, and she absolutely loves it.

“She has the best time ever, so I’m excited for her. I’m very not nervous, because she’s thriving and she’s happy.”

No crying as her only child wanders through the school gates, the 39-year-old BGT star says. Not even a lone tear rolling down her cheek – in part because she doesn’t quite feel like it’s a milestone.

“She’s still at the same school,” she explains. “So, she’s leaving the nursery and going into the next classroom, with her same friends, so it doesn’t feel like anything hugely different.”

Alesha’s also immune to lots of typical mum worries and self-guilt-trips, it seems – expect for, maybe, social media.

“I use it for work, I use it when the mood takes me if I’m inspired,” she adds, “but I’m not a slave to it, I can go without. And I don’t feel like I’m missing out.

“I don’t go on social media and compare myself to other people and what other people are doing – but I’m very mindful that if I was a [child] on social media, then I might be like that.”

The perils of social media is a subject that crops up a lot in the 2nd book of her Lightning Girl series – though, fortunately, she laughs, she’s a lonnnnng way off that phase with Azura.

“Well, she’s not on Facebook, but she is partial to the iPad,” she jokes. “If she wants to have an hour on the iPad, I don’t have an issue with that.

“When it comes to travelling on an aeroplane or a long car journey, it’s a lifesaver. Any mum will tell you."

She’s quick to add: “As long as she’s [still] being active, playing, reading, writing, and being creative.”

That said, it seems there are a few things she and partner Azuka (aka AZ) wouldn’t be so keen on Azura watching on the iPad… namely a few movies that may be setting a bit of a bad example.

“She has watched a few things in the past and then AZ and I will sort of look at each other and think, ‘should she be watching this?’ – because you think it’s just an innocent little movie, like Boss Baby, or Minions.

“They’re really great movies, but then you watch it back and you’re like, this Boss Baby’s quite naughty, and the Minions [are too].

“If she’s watching something that we think is not setting the best example, yeah, we’ll turn off. Luckily, she’s only into lovely things at the moment, which is working out well.

“She’s obsessed with Smurfs, and I like her watching The Smurfs,” she laughs. “And the movie Early Man… I love that she’s obsessed with it because it’s all about football.

“I was gonna use the word tomboy there, but I’m not gonna use that word anymore - because obviously we have some great female footballers now – but it’s not the typical Disney princess vibe, it’s quite different, and I quite like that.”